Device for closing match-boxes



July 25, 1967 B. N. ANDERSSON 3,332,203

DEVICE FOR CLOSING MATCH-BOXES Filed Dec. 23, 1965 INVENTOR BIRGER N.ANDERSSON BY 2 Away/C KM [424% ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,332,203DEVICE FOR CLOSING MATCH-BOXES Birger N. Andersson, Kalmar, Sweden,assiguor to Arenco Aktiebolag, Vallingby, Sweden Filed Dec. 23, 1963,Ser. No. 332,424 Claims priority, application Sweden, Jan. 23, 1963,722/63 2 Claims. (Cl. 53-169) The present invention relates to means forclosing filled match-boxes having the innerbox partially inserted intothe outerbox by means of a closing device operating on the ends of theinnerand outerboxes, respectively.

Closing of filled match-boxes has previously taken place directly afterfilling of the boxes. It has therewith proved impossible to avoid damagearising both to the boxes and the matches owing to the fact that thematches often project beyond the edges of the innerbox and are jammedwhen the box is closed. By transferring the filled boxes to the closingmeans with the inner box partially inserted into the outerbox via aconveyor it has been possible to arrange a correction of the positionsof the projecting matches so that the matches which do not lie correctlyin the box on being fed to the closing means will only project beyondthe short side of the innerbox. In this way, damage to boxes and matchesduring closing has only partially been avoided and until now thedisadvantage has remained that the matches which at the beginning of theclosing process project beyond the short side of the innerbox, despiteexperiments with difierent types of closing means, are jammed betweenthe inner box and the outer box with the ignition heads partiallyprojecting beyond the innerbox.

An improved arrangement for closing filled matchboxes has been effectedby the present invention, the above-mentioned disadvantages beingeliminated in that prior to the closing process a drive plate movablerelative to the innerbox in the longitudinal direction of the box andtowards the outer end of the innerbox for inserting matches projectingbeyond the end of the innerbox, is arranged to be moved by its loweredge closely above the top edge of the outer end of the innerbox to aposition immediately within this edge, the drive plate being arranged toretain this position relative to the innerbox during at least theprinciple part of the closing process. The drive plate can be attachedto the closing device operating on the innerbox, which device is eithersecurely fixed, the closing device operating on the end of the outerboxbeing movable, or arranged movably. In addition, the drive plate can bepivotally attached to a horizontal shaft mounted pivotally above theboxes, the shaft being at right angles to the longitudinal direction ofthe boxes. As the drive plate will lean at varying angles, owing to thepivotal movement, the matches projecting at different lengths from theinnerbox, and consequently leaning at different angles, will be actuatedprincipally in the axial direction by the drive plate.

The invention will be further explained in the following in connectionwith the attached drawing which shows an embodiment of the inventionchosen as an example.

The drawing shows a longitudinal section through a closing station alonga feed path for filled match-boxes. The boxes consist of an innerbox 1,which is partially inserted into an outerbox 2 and the boxes slide on apath 3 with the end of the innerbox abutting a movable carrier member 4.Above the feed path and at right angles to the direction of feed are twohorizontal shafts 5 and 6, both rotatably mounted. A stop arm 7 capableof being inserted into the path of the boxes is attached to shaft 5 anda drive plate 8 is attached to the shaft 6. The drawing shows a positionimmediately before the front end ICC of the outerbox 2 comes intocontact with the lower stop arm 7. In this position, the drive plate 8is caused by a cam mechanism not shown to swing forward from theposition shown by solid lines to the position 8a, The pivotal movementis so adapted that position 8a relative to the box 1 is adopted inconnection with starting the closing process, and the drive plate 8 iscaused after this, in the position 8a relative to the innerbox, tofollow the innerbox 1 during its insertion into the outerbox. During thepivotal movement to position 8a, the drive plate comes into contact withmatches 9 projecting at different lengths, of which those projectingfarthest normally form a greater angle with the horizontal plane thanthose projection least, from which it follows that the drive plate 8 canbe arranged so that the matches, during the whole of the pivotalmovement, are actuated by the drive plate principally in the axialdirection and suitably with a light downward pressure. On passing abovethe upper edge of the rear edge 10 of the innerbox, the drive plate 8forms substantially an angle of with the diagonal plane of the innerboxcontaining this edge. Owing to the fact that the drive plate adopts theunchanged position 8a relative to the innerbox 1 during the closingprocess, the risk of the uppermost matches s-being jammed between therear edge 10 of the innerbox and the upper side 11 of the outerbox wheninsertion into the outerbox 2 is completed, is substantially reducedeven if the drive plate during this last phase of the closing process ispermitted to maintain the position 8a relative to the innerbox 1 andthus moves past the rear edge of the upper side 11 of the outerbox, asshown in the drawing.

A similar operation is obtained on using the drive plate 13 resilientlyattached to the stop arm 7, the drive plate having the task of makingpossible the closing of match-boxes fed with the outerbox abutting thecarrier member 4. The innerbox 1 Will be pushed in under the drive plate13 which here has the position marked 12, until the box strikes againstthe stop arm 7., The matches which project farthest out of the innerboxwill normally at first come into contact with the upper portion of thedrive plate, and those which project least will come into contact withportion 13a of the drive plate, which portion forms an angle ofsubstantially 90 with a plane through the upper edge of the outer sideof the innerbox and the central point of the bottom of the innerbox.

A substantial advantage of the drive plate 8 is that it can easily beadapted with regard to different types of match-boxes and matches toobtain satisfactory closing. The drive plate 8 can thus be arranged tograze or substantially to graze both to the edge 10 of the innerbox orboth its longitudinal edges and the rear upper edge of the outerbox 2.The bottom portion of the drive plate 8 can also be arranged to abut theend of the outerbox 2 and possibly also the upper edges of the innerbox1 during the last phase of the closing process in order, as effectivelyas possible, to eliminate the risk of matches being jammed between theedge 10 of the innerbox and the upper side 11 of the outerbox.

What is claimed is:

1. A device in match making machines for closing filled match-boxes,each match-box consisting of a filled innerbox partially inserted intoan outerbox and being conveyed by a conveyor having moving carriermembers pushing on the outer ends of the innerboxes, said devicecomprising a stop arm, means to insert said stop arm into the path ofmovement of the match-boxes and to withdraw said stop arm after closingof each matchbox, a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted above theconveyor at right angle to the direction of movement of the conveyor, adrive plate attached to said shaft and adapted to push the ends ofmatches protruding beyond the outer end of the innerbox, said shaftpivoting said drive plate prior to the closing operation, towards andover the outer end of the innerbox to a position immediately within theouter end of the innerbox and maintaining said drive plate in thisposition relative to the innerbox during at least the principle part ofthe closing operation and said shaft being positioned so that saidbottom edge of the pivoting drive plate is substantially at a tangentboth to the top edges of the innerbox and the top edge of the end of theouterbox facing the innerbox.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein comprising a drive plate hasa bottom portion that when passing above the top edge of the outer endof the innerbox forms substantially an angle of 90 to the diagonal planeof the innerbox containing this edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,966,768 1/1961 Zilver 53l69 XTRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner 10 FRANK E. BAILEY, Examiner.

R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEVICE IN MATCH MAKING MACHINES FOR CLOSING FILLED MATCH-BOXES,EACH MATCH-BOX CONSISTING OF A FILLED INNERBOX PARTIALLY INSERTED INTOAN OUTERBOX AND BEING CONVEYED BY A CONVEYOR HAVING MOVING CARRIERMEMBERS PUSHING ON THE OUTER ENDS OF THE INNERBOXES, SAID DEVICECOMPRISING A STOP ARM, MEANS TO INSERT SAID STOP ARM INTO THE PATH OFMOVEMENT OF THE MATCH-BOXES AND TO WITHDRAW SAID STOP ARM AFTER CLOSINGOF EACH MATCHBOX, A HORIZONTAL SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOVE THECONVEYOR AT RIGHT ANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE CONVEYOR, ADRIVE PLATE ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT AND ADAPTED TO PUSH THE ENDS OFMATCHES PROTRUDING BEYOND THE OUTER END OF THE INNERBOX, SAID SHAFTPIVOTING SAID DRIVE PLATE PRIOR TO THE CLOSING OPERATION, TOWARDS ANDOVER THE OUTER END OF THE INNERBOX TO A POSITION IMMEDIATELY WITHIN THEOUTER END OF THE INNERBOX AND MAINTAINING SAID DRIVE PLATE IN THISPOSITION RELATIVE TO THE INNERBOX DURING AT LEAST THE PRINCIPLE PART OFTHE CLOSING OPERATION AND SAID SHAFT BEING POSITIONED SO THAT SAIDBOTTOM EDGE OF THE PIVOTING DRIVE PLATE IS SUBSTANTIALLY AT A TANGENTBOTH TO THE TOP EDGES OF THE INNERBOX AND THE TOP EDGE OF THE END OF THEOUTERBOX FACING THE INNERBOX.